In an old, one room, country schoolhouse years ago, John Maynard was doing very poor work. About half way through the school year the teacher said something that inspired him. His grades began to improve, and his assignments were neat and attractive. He finished the year with very good marks. On open house day at the end of the year John’s heart sank as he saw his mother and father looking at his work books from the school year. He knew that the first half of those workbooks were full of messy work and mistakes. He watched in fear as they both turned the pages, but was very surprised at the smile on their face. After his mother and father were done looking through the book he quickly went to look at it. John discovered that his kind teacher had removed all of his work from the first half of the year and only left the work that was neat.
The point in life where we have a change of heart is called “Godly Sorrow”. Repentance or a change of life is the result of this. Paul said “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor 7:10). Sometimes in the Bible this change is simply called “turning” (Acts 3:19). When we make an about-face, God covers up all of our mistakes from the past. He forgives, which means He removes them from the record book. In ancient times writing was removed from leather scrolls by washing or sponging the ink off, and this metaphor was used frequently in the Bible. The Psalmist prayed: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions…..Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (Ps 51:1, 9). God declares: “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Is 43:25). Do you feel sorrow for the sin you have committed? Are you sorry that you got caught or are you sorry that you sinned against a holy God? Let your sorrow lead you to change so that you can experience the forgiveness of God. No one should live with the burden of sin!